Liquid-filled suspended-particle-scene gift card holder

ABSTRACT

A decorative gift card holder is provided for presenting and displaying gift cards, whether of the magnetic stripe or smart card varieties. The gift card holder includes a transparent, fluid-filled chamber in which insoluble white “snow” particles having a density greater than the fluid are trapped. The chamber has a card retention housing within the fluid-filled chamber that is sealed from the latter, and has an access slot at the bottom of the chamber through which a gift card may be inserted into the card retention housing. Once fully inserted, the card can be seen through the water and snow particles. A sheet metal or injection molded polymeric plastic base, which snaps onto a grooved lower projection of the chamber, retains the gift card within the slot, and also provides a stable base for displaying the gift card holder in an upright position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates, generally, to gift card holders and liquid-filled snow globes. More particularly, it relates to a liquid-filled snow-scene gift card holder.

2. History of the Prior Art

Magnetic stripe plastic cards are extensively used for credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, hotel room access and a host of other functions. Credit cards, in particular, are subjected to tremendous abuse. When carried in wallets, they are subject to constant bending, friction and abrasion. In addition, they are frequently swiped through magnetic readers. A sophisticated and complex manufacturing process has resulted in credit cards that have an expected life span of three to four years. Credit cards typically range in thickness from 0.25 mm to 0.76 mm and are typically made up of two or three layers of PVC-related polymers. Usually, one of the layers is screen printed, then a clear PVC layer is laminated on top. The printed surface, sandwiched between the two plastic sheets, typically acts as an adhesive. Solvent-based inks, though widely used, are gradually being replaced by ultraviolet-cure inks. The magnetic stripe on the back of a credit card is often called a magstripe. The magstripe is made up of tiny iron-based magnetic particles embedded in a plastic film. Each particle is really a tiny bar magnet about 20-millionths of an inch long. There are three one-tenth-inch wide tracks on the magstripe: Track one is 210 bits per inch (bpi), and holds 796-bit plus parity bit read-only characters; track two is 75 bpi, and holds 40 4-bit plus parity bit read-only characters; and track three is 210 bpi, and holds 107 4-bit plus parity bit readable and writable characters. Most banks utilize only the first two tracks. The information encoded in track one includes the primary account number, the country code, the card holder's name, and the card expiration date. The information in track two includes a repeat of the primary account number, country code and expiration date.

A smart card resembles a credit card in size and shape, but inside it is completely different. Embedded in the plastic layers of a typical smart card is an entire computer system, including an 8-bit microprocessor, up to 1 kilobyte of random-access memory (RAM), 24 kilobytes of read-only memory (ROM), and 16 kilobytes of programmable ROM. The function of the microprocessor on the smart card is to limit access to data on the card. Through a card reader, a host computer communicates with the embedded computer system. The smart card uses a serial interface and receives its power from external sources like a card reader. The processor uses a limited instruction set for applications such as cryptography. The microprocessor is under a gold contact pad on one side of the card. Although in widespread usage in other parts of the world, the popularity of smart cards is just now beginning to take off in the United States. The most common smart card applications are: credit cards, electronic cash, computer security systems, wireless communication, loyalty systems (e.g., frequent flyer points), banking, satellite TV, and government identification. Smart cards incorporating a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device may be interrogated by queried by a transmitting and receiving interrogator system that is not in intimate contact with the card. The RFID device is usually passive (having no on-board power source, such as a battery) and generally includes an on-board antenna and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The RFID device receives its operational energy from the interrogator system, which must be in relatively close proximity. Within what is termed the surveillance zone, the interrogator system generates sufficient radio frequency power to excite, or interrogate, the RFID device. When radio frequency energy emanating from the interrogator antenna impinges on the RFID device, a current is induced in on-board antenna. This induced current is routed to the ASIC, which then performs an initialization sequence. When the interrogator ceases transmitting its energy transmitting interrogation signal, the ASIC begins to broadcast its identity and any other requested information over the on-board antenna. The transmission process utilizes low-energy transmission technology that selectively reflects the electromagnetic energy back to the interrogator at the same fundamental frequency as it was received, using the board antenna as an energy radiator. The transmit/receive frequency employed is generally application dependent. Commonly available proximity interrogation systems operate at frequencies within a range of 60 kHz to 5.8 GHz, and typically employ frequency modulation for data transmission. Information reflected by RFID device is decoded by the reader.

Gift cards, whether in the form of a magnetic card or a smart card, have become immensely popular among retailers and the buying public. Gift cards function like a debit card. Purchased by a donee using cash or credit, an account is set up in the retailer's computer system for the amount tendered by the donee. The retailer then issues a card, which identifies the account and the tendered amount. After the card is transferred to a beneficiary, the beneficiary can pay for purchases, up to the account total, using the gift card. The purchase of a gift card is the equivalent of a zero-interest loan made to the retailer by the donee. If the beneficiary loses or forgets about the card, the purchase of the gift card effectively becomes a gift to the retailer!

Although a gift card may represent any amount of tendered value—up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in value, the card does not, in an of itself, make a very impressive gift. In the first place, a 3.375-inch×2.125-inch×0.030-inch thick piece of plastic is not particularly impressive. It also, most likely, represents a last minute gift decision on the part of the donee. In response to this phenomenon, the packaging industry has created a plethora of impressive gift boxes for delivery of the gift cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an attractive gift card holder for presenting and displaying gift cards, whether of the magnetic stripe or smart card varieties. The gift card holder includes a transparent, liquid-filled chamber in which insoluble particles having a density at least as great as that of the liquid, are trapped and free floating. The particles may be white, resemble snow flakes, and be made from an organic polymer, an inorganic compound, or a combination of both. Particles made of polystyrene particles and a white inorganic pigment, or colorant, is one inexpensive possibility. Water is the most inexpensive and safest liquid to use. Other colored and multi-colored particles are also contemplated, and may be shaped to resemble, for example bats, birds and other flying creatures for such occasions as Halloween. The chamber has an interior slot accessible from the bottom into which a gift card may be inserted. Once fully inserted, it can be seen through the water and snow particles. A sheet metal or injection molded polymeric plastic base, which snaps onto a grooved lower projection of the chamber, retains the gift card within the slot, and also provides a stable base for displaying the gift card holder in an upright position. Decorations may be stamped or painted on a sheet metal base and may be molded or painted on an injection molded base.

The chamber is preferably manufactured in two pieces by injection molding each piece from a generally rigid, transparent thermoplastic resin. The two pieces are then assembled as a single piece using chemical, ultrasonic, or thermal welding. Usable thermoplastic resins currently include polyacrylates, polycarbonates (PCs), polystyrenes (PSs), styrene block copolymers (SBCs), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), ABS, polysulfones (PSUs), polyesters made almost exclusively of amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G), polypropylene (PP), styrene methyl methacrylate (SMMA), PVC, nylon, cellulosic resins, cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs), and allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC). Polyacrylates (also known as, simply, acrylics) have light transmissivities comparable to glass, transmitting about 92% of the visible light spectrum. The remaining members of this group of transparent plastics have light tranmission rates greater than 80%. All products in this group offer good impact resistance. Acrylics, for example, are 17 times more resistant to breakage than glass, and are easily fabricated. PET-G has 7 times the impact resistance of acrylic and polycarbonates (Lexan®) has 17 times the impact resistance of acrylic. The average weight of this set of plastics is about one-half that of a comparable volume of glass. As a practical matter, cost—more than any other factor—will dictate which resins are used. Plastic materials made from polystyrenes are probably the least expensive of the group. However, because polystyrenes have fairly low impact resistance, plastics made of polyacrylates, styrene acrylonitrile, or styrene methyl methacrylate may be a better choice, despite the increase in cost. Of course, the chamber may also be made of glass. However, a chamber made of glass would be considerably more expensive than one made of polymeric material and, in addition, would be more likely to break during shipment and use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a liquid-filled snow-scene gift card holder and gift card, with the gift card positioned between the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber and the sheet metal base;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the front and rear elevational views being identical;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filed chamber;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the views of both sides being identical;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an assembled liquid-filled snow-scene gift holder having a gift card installed within the slot of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the assembled liquid-filled, snow-scene gift holder having a gift card installed within the slot thereof;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the assembled liquid-filled, snow-scene gift holder having a gift card installed within the slot thereof;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the assembled liquid-filled, snow-scene gift holder;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber showing a pair of cross-sectional cuts;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber, taken through section line 11-11;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber, taken through section line 12-12;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the sheet metal base showing a pair of cross-sectional cuts;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet metal base, taken through section line 14-14;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet metal base, taken through section line 15-15

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the rear elevational view thereof being identical thereto;

FIG. 17 is a right-side elevational view of the upper portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the left-side elevational view thereof being identical thereto;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the upper portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the upper portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of the card-holding lower portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the rear elevational view thereof being identical thereto;

FIG. 21 is a right-side elevational view of the card-holding lower portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber, the left-side elevational view thereof being identical thereto;

FIG. 22 is a bottom plan view of the card-holding lower portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of the card-holding lower portion of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber;

FIG. 24 is a front elevational exploded view of the upper and lower portions of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber before they are joined as a single unit; and

FIG. 25 is a side elevational exploded view of the upper and lower portions of the slotted, liquid-filled chamber before they are joined as a single unit.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a decorative gift card holder for presenting and displaying gift cards, whether of the magnetic stripe or smart card varieties. The gift card holder includes a transparent, fluid-filled chamber in which insoluble particles having a density at least as great as the fluid, are trapped and free floating. The chamber has an interior slot accessible from the bottom into which a gift card may be inserted. Once fully inserted, it can be seen through the water and snow particles. A sheet metal or injection molded polymeric plastic base, which snaps onto a grooved lower projection of the chamber, retains the gift card within the slot, and also provides a stable base for displaying the gift card holder in an upright position. The characteristics and manufacture of the decorative gift card holder will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawing figures.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the decorative gift card holder 100 is shown in an exploded view, with the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101 at the top of the drawing and the sheet metal base 102 at the bottom of the drawing. A laminar gift card 103 is shown between the chamber 101 and the base 102. The transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101 has an outer housing 104, an inner housing 105, and a bottom panel 106, which interconnects the inner and outer housings 105 and 104, respectively. A sealed cavity 107 is formed between the inner and outer housings 105 and 104. Also bounded by the bottom panel 106, the sealed cavity 107 is filled with a transparent liquid 108, such as water or a light oil. Water, being the least expensive liquid, is preferred. Particles 109, which have a density at least as great as that of the transparent liquid 108, free float within the liquid 108 when the liquid is agitated, and gradually settle to bottom of the sealed cavity 107. The particles 109 are made of an insoluble material that may be organic, inorganic, or a combination of both. The particles may be produced, most easily, using a polymeric plastic material, such as polystyrene, with which is combined a white inorganic pigment, such as titanium dioxide. Particles of other colors and shapes are also contemplated. The bottom panel 106 has an opening 110, which provides access to a card retention slot 111 within the inner housing 105, and which enables a gift card 103 to be inserted within the inner housing 105 for display within the snow scene created by the liquid 108 and the particles 109. The base 102, which can be injection molded from a polymeric plastic material or formed from sheet metal, snaps onto a lower projection 112 on the bottom panel 106. Decorative may be stamped and/or painted on the sheet metal from which the base 102 is fabricated. Decorative snow flakes 113 have been stamped into the sheet metal of this particular base 102.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101 is shown separately in different views. It will be noted that tapered longitudinal ridges 201A and 201B extend almost the entire length of the chamber 101. A pair of longitudinal grooves 202A and 202B, which are associated with longitudinal ridges 201A and 201B, respectively, enable the base 102 to be snapped onto the lower projection 112 on the bottom panel 106. The bottom view of FIG. 4 shows the open opening 110, which provides access to the card retention slot 111. Although the card retention slot 111 can also be seen in the top view of FIG. 3 because the material, from which the inner chamber is made, is transparent, the upper end of the inner housing 105 is sealed.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 9, an assembled decorative gift card holder 100, having a laminar gift card 103 installed within the card retention slot 111, is shown in multiple views. The base 102 has been snapped onto the lower projection 112 (not shown in these views). The base 102 has a lower sheet metal panel 901, which fills in the bottom end of the base 102 and provides rigidity to the structure.

Referring now to FIG. 10, this top view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101 shows a pair of section lines 11-11 and 12-12, through which the chamber 101 will be cut and illustrated.

Referring now to FIG. 11, this cross-sectional view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101, taken longitudinally through a vertically-bisecting plane represented by section line 11-11, shows one half of the sealed cavity 107 which is formed by the outer housing 104, the inner housing 105, and the bottom panel 106. The slot 110 in the bottom panel 106, which is visible in this view, provides access to the card retention slot 111 within the inner housing 105, and enables a gift card 103 to be inserted therein.

Referring now to FIG. 12, this cross-sectional view of the transparent, slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101, taken laterally through a vertically-bisecting plane represented by section line 12-12, shows one half of the sealed cavity 107 from an end view. The slot 110 in the bottom panel 106 provides access to the card retention slot 111 within the inner housing 105.

Referring now to FIG. 13, this top view of the sheet metal base 102 shows a pair of section lines 14-14 and 15-15, through which the base 102 will be cut and illustrated.

Referring now to FIG. 14, this cross-sectional view of sheet metal base 102, taken longitudinally through a vertically-bisecting plane represented by section line 14-14, shows one half of the base 102. Because of the thinness of the sheet metal from which the base 102 is fabricated, no cross-sectional hatching is used. The base 102 is fabricated from a sheet metal band 1401 that is rolled at the top and bottom edges 1402 and 1403, respectively. The lower sheet metal panel 901 is visible here as a thick line that is bent at the edges 1404A and 1404B. The bend edges 1404A and 1404B are crimped into the rolled bottom edge 1403 of the sheet metal band 1401.

Referring now to FIG. 15, this cross-sectional view of the sheet metal base 102, taken laterally through a vertically-bisecting plane represented by section line 12-12, shows one half of the base 102 from a different perspective. This view also shows how the bent edges of the lower sheet metal panel 901 are crimped into the rolled bottom edge 1403 of the sheet metal band 1401.

FIGS. 16 through 25 show how the slotted, liquid-filled chamber 101 is fabricated. The chamber 101 is preferably injection molded from a generally rigid, transparent thermoplastic resin as two separate pieces, an upper portion 1601 shown in FIGS. 16 through 18, which includes a major portion of the outer housing 104, and a lower portion 1602 shown in FIGS. 20 through 23, which includes the inner housing 105 and the bottom panel 106. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the upper portion 1601 is joined to the bottom portion 1602 using ultrasonic, chemical, heat, or other equivalent welding techniques. The final result of the welding process is shown in FIG. 2. Usable thermoplastic resins for the chamber 101 currently include polyacrylates, polycarbonates (PCs), polystyrenes (PSs), styrene block copolymers (SBCs), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), ABS, polysulfones (PSUs), polyesters made almost exclusively of amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G), polypropylene (PP), styrene methyl methacrylate (SMMA), PVC, nylon, cellulosic resins, cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs), and allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC). Polyacrylates (also known as, simply, acrylics) have light transmissivities comparable to glass, transmitting about 92% of the visible light spectrum. The remaining members of this group of transparent plastics have light tranmission rates greater than 80%. All products in this group offer good impact resistance. Acrylics, for example, are 17 times more resistant to breakage than glass, and are easily fabricated. PET-G has 7 times the impact resistance of acrylic and polycarbonates (Lexan®) has 17 times the impact resistance of acrylic. The average weight of this set of plastics is about one-half that of a comparable volume of glass. As a practical matter, cost—more than any other factor—will dictate which resins are used. Plastic materials made from polystyrenes are probably the least expensive of the group. However, because polystyrenes have fairly low impact resistance, plastics made of polyacrylates, styrene acrylonitrile, or styrene methyl methacrylate may be a better choice, despite the increase in cost.

The chamber 101 may also be made of glass. However, a chamber made of glass would be considerably more expensive to manufacture than one made of polymeric material and, in addition, would be more likely to break during shipment and use.

Although only a single embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter may be claimed. For example, though the base 102 is shown and described as being fabricated stamped and formed sheet metal, a base may also be fabricated from various generally rigid plastic materials 

1. A decorative gift card holder comprising: a transparent chamber having an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bottom panel which interconnects said inner and outer housings, thereby forming a sealed cavity between said inner and outer housings, said bottom panel an opening which provides access to a slot within said inner housing that is sized to receive and retain a laminar gift card; fluid, which fills said sealed cavity; and insoluble particles having a density at least as great as that of said fluid, said particles being free floating in the liquid within said chamber.
 2. The decorative gift card holder of claim 1, wherein said fluid is water.
 3. The decorative gift card holder of claim 1, wherein said insoluble particles are made of an organic polymer combined with a white inorganic pigment.
 4. The decorative gift card holder of claim 1, wherein said transparent chamber is formed from first and second injection molded pieces which are bonded together to form a unitary piece.
 5. The decorative gift card holder of claim 4, wherein said first injection molded piece includes said outer housing and said second injection molded piece includes said inner housing and said bottom panel.
 6. The decorative gift card holder of claim 1, which further comprises a base which snaps onto a bottom portion of said transparent chamber.
 7. The decorative gift card holder of claim 6, wherein said base is formed from at least one piece of sheet metal.
 8. The decorative gift card holder of claim 7, wherein the sheet metal of said base is stamped with a decorative pattern.
 9. A decorative gift card holder comprising: a transparent, sealed, liquid-filled first chamber in which particles are free floating, said particles having a density at least as great as that of the liquid in which they are floating; and a generally rectangular transparent card retention second chamber extending into the transparent liquid-filled chamber so as to be visible through the liquid and free-floating particles, said card retention second chamber having an opening at one end so as to facilitate the insertion of a laminar gift card therein for storage and display.
 10. The decorative gift card holder of claim 9, wherein said fluid is water.
 11. The decorative gift card holder of claim 9, wherein said particles are made of an organic polymer combined with a white inorganic pigment.
 12. The decorative gift card holder of claim 9, wherein said first and second chambers constitute a unitary piece formed from first and second injection molded pieces which are welded together.
 13. The decorative gift card holder of claim 12, wherein said first injection molded piece includes an outer housing, and said second injection molded piece includes said second chamber, said second chamber opening, and a bottom panel, said bottom panel joining said outer housing to said second chamber and, together with the outer housing, forming the first chamber after said first and second injection molded pieces are bonded together.
 14. The decorative gift card holder of claim 12, which further comprises a base which snaps onto a bottom portion of said unitary piece.
 15. The decorative gift card holder of claim 14, wherein said base is formed from at least one piece of sheet metal.
 16. The decorative gift card holder of claim 15, wherein the sheet metal of said base is stamped with a decorative pattern. 